Newb Questions

[On Holiday]

Hi all!

Recently became the proud owner of a Nikon D3100 + 18-55mm VR Kit.
Haven't used it a lot as I've recently started a night job and not finding much time for creativity!
Quick couple of newb questions;

1) Obviously I know that the price of the DSLR is nothing compared to the lenses I'll be purchasing in the future and I won't be "looking for the cheapest option", but what exactly is wrong with cheap lenses?
i.e. eBay Link (Am I allowed to link to ebay?)

2) Is VR a thing to look for when it comes to lenses? (Most likely will be taking motorsports shots) and is that why the lens are more expensive than others?

i.e.
Nikon AF Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm f/4-5.6 G Lens 70-300 f4-5.6
vs
Nikon 70-300mm VR Lens [AF-S 4.5-5.6 G Nikkor]

 

[Philip Perfect]

Congratulations on your purchase!

As a general rule, a photographic lens is a highly refined piece of optics, which takes much research and very precise manufacturing to get right. Not to mention the sometimes exotic materials which are used to minimise aberations in the resulting image. All of this of course comes at a price.

VR is a stabilisation technology which is very useful for taking pictures of still subjects - you can typically use a slower shutter speed (i.e. the shutter is open for a longer duration) whilst maintaining a sharp image. This only applies though when the subject isn't moving. As soon as this stops being the case (i.e. with cars in your example), then you generally need a fast shutter speed to freeze the action, in which case VR won't help you. And yes, VR is one of the factors that increases the cost of a lens.

 

[BigRazer93]

That cheap lens you linked from ebay I wouldn't bother with. The 18mm is wide enough for landscapes, and could class it as "wide angle" lens at 18mm. (Your current lens).

VR - depends what you shoot. If you get a telescopic lens and looking at taking pictures of animals, planes etc then you better of getting a lens with VR. If you are going to be using a tripod most of the time to take pictures, then VR isn't needed.

A little tip - if you do use a tripod with a VR lens, turn it off

BTW, congratulations! I got the exact same kit at Christmas